The train ride.

I was supposed to get off at Marine lines to meet a friend when I got on a first class compartment on the Mumbai local.

At the exit stood 4 girls riding the train to school. None of them noticed me when I raised my camera to capture their easy comaraderie from behind them. The train was shaking a lot (the tracks from Charni road get choppy), so I lowered my camera to open up the aperture & compensate for the blurring. When I looked up again, one girl stood much ahead of of the rest. She wanted her picture taken.

The image above says the best I could capture of her eager innocence. Of course they got off at Marine lines & I missed my stop.

Musicians, Rajasthan.

The people in the images aren't related. These images were shot hundreds of miles away from each other.

The young boy belongs to a family of musicians. The eldest of 3 siblings, he recently lost his father & saw his mother married off to her younger brother in law (a prevalent custom in rural Rajasthan). He has a sweet voice but has a long way to go before he's able to draw large crowds. He must learn the art from his step father/uncle to help support his family.

The older man is a musician who lives in a remote village in Badmer. Every morning he gets on any bus or truck that'll take him to the local district & plays to collect spare change. He knows no other trade. Many of the younger generation in his village have given up family customs such as singing & dancing to learn more sustainable trades such as carpentry & plumbing to support their families. The instrument he holds is at least as old as he is. He can only guess his age in years.

Cameras used: Canon Digital SLR Camera EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 400D Digital SLR Camera (incl. EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Kit)

Lenses used:
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens

Shobha & Mithoba.

Shobha's a farm laborer. One of many in Maharashtra (India) that live in small huts on the farms they and their spouses work on.
She keeps her parrot in a cage so small, his tail grows out crooked. It's the best she can afford. The parrot (Mithoba) imitates the calls of the farm peacocks and laughs raucously afterward. He loves peanuts and green chillies & makes straight for Shobha's modest kitchen each time he's released. She's the only one who can hold him. He keeps the neighbors entertained.

The Dhangars (shepherds).

Child monks: youth in exile.

I spent over a week in Sikkim early in 2008. A lot of my time was spent haunting the surrounding monasteries. Of everything & everyone I saw there, what struck me most was the detached quietness of the young novice monks.
Some, I found, were as young as 3 or 4 & had been brought by their parents from neighboring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet to study Buddhism. Many rarely saw their parents since they lived far away and travel is expensive for poor families.
There were 2 very young monks that drew my attention on the day I spent in Enchey. They spoke only Nepali but understood Hindi. Amazed at how innocent & quiet they seemed, I asked them if they got to meet their mothers. One nodded 'yes' & the other slowly shook a 'no'. They had a part time female nurse who played with them at the monastery during the day but no female was allowed in after closing time.

Cameras used: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Lenses used:
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Canon - Lens - 50 mm - f/1.4 USM - Canon EF

Potters of Pune.

The potter community in Pune has been around since the time of the Marathas. 'Kumbharwada' in the city of Pune is where many sell their pots but the community continues to fragment & disintegrate.
Their business lives are open to to public. Potter women relaxing on the edge of their shops, 2 feet away from a very busy road don't flinch when you make eye contact. They watched my back as I bent & squatted next to the road to capture their environment & faces.
Many of their children will be forced to enter the family business & many will leave to enter unrewarding jobs.
This was one of the most engaging communities I've ever had the pleasure to interact with.